Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell on Wednesday announced that he would leave the Democratic Party and join the Republicans due to his opposition to abortion.

McDonnell represents parts of Omaha and has held his seat since first winning election in 2016.

"I have asked the Democratic Party to respect my religious-based pro-life position. Instead, over the last year, they have decided to punish me for being pro-life," he said, according to KETV. "The Douglas County Democrats voted not to seat me as a delegate and not to share party resources with me because I am pro-life."

The deep-red state currently maintains a 12-week abortion ban, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. 

His defection could prove a boon to Republicans, who are currently moving to approve legislation that would impose a winner-take-all system of allocating the state's electoral votes in time for the 2024 presidential election. It remains unclear whether he will support the effort, however.

The state currently allocates its votes by congressional district and it is not uncommon for the Democratic candidate to win the delegate from the 2nd Congressional District.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.